Abstract: A process for the regeneration of sulfuric acid contaminated with hydrocarbons and water to produce pure concentration acid comprising: contacting sulfuric acid contaminated with hydrocarbons and water with oxygen and elemental sulfur in the presence of a vanadium containing catalyst in a reaction zone, maintaining at least a portion of the acid in the liquid phase, converting hydrocarbon to carbon oxides and water, and converting sulfur and sulfurdioxide to sulfurtrioxide, separating the reactor effluent into a vapor stream and a liquid stream and cooling and partially condensing of the vapor stream to concentrate clean acid.

Abstract: A process for the regeneration of spent sulfuric acid comprises decomposing the spent sulfuric acid to SO2, a reducing agent, such as hydrocarbon and water, preferably in a thin film on a solid surface in the presence of a hydrocarbon reducing agent. The SO2 generated in the decomposition step is converted to SO3 in the presence of water and concentrated sulfuric acid is condensed out.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset.

Abstract: A process for paraffin alkylation of isoalkane with isoolefins in which an olefin component comprising oligomerized propylene, oligomerized isoolefin or mixtures thereof is fed to a paraffin alkylation unit wherein the dissociated olefin components forming the oligomers react with isoalkane to produce a reaction mixture containing an alkylate and unreacted isoalkane The reaction mixture is fractionally distilled to recover unreacted isoalkane as overheads and alkylate as bottoms. The stoichiometry of isoolefins to isoalkane in the alkylation unit is maintained by adjustment of the feed to the oligomerization, for example, by adding fresh isoalkane to the recovered, unreacted isoalkane from the alkylation unit being recycled to the oligomerization. Alternatively, a portion of the recovered unreacted isoalkane is dehydrogenation to an isoolefin which is added to the oligomerization.

Abstract: The invention relates to the production of polymers using polymerization processes and reactor systems including a plurality of multi-zone circulating reactors. In particular, the invention relates to the production of impact copolymers using reactor systems including a plurality of multi-zone circulating reactors.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.

Abstract: A liquid acid process is disclosed in which a hydrocarbon component containing an olefin, an olefin precursor or mixture and an isoalkane and a liquid acid catalyst is fed to a downflow reaction zone containing a disperser, under conditions to induce pulse flow at or near the outlet to react the isoalkane and olefin to produce a reaction product and feeding the reaction product to a vaporization zone containing a disperser under conditions to induce pulse flow at or near the outlet of the vaporization zone. A pressure drop across the disperser in the vaporization zone causes partial vaporization of the hydrocarbon which quench es the heat reaction and cooling the unvaporized portion of said reaction product, which is recovered and allowed to separate into an acid phase and hydrocarbon phase containing the alkylate. The acid catalyst and hydrocarbons may be fractally fed to the reaction zone.

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-phase downflow reactor so as to induce a pulsing flow regime is disclosed. The pulse may be induced by increasing the gas rate while maintaining the liquid rate until a pressure drop sufficient to induce the pulse flow is achieved. The method is particularly useful in the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of olefins in a reactor packed with a stainless steel/polypropylene mesh.

Abstract: Bubble columns fractionate with vapor-liquid mass transfer efficiencies approaching that of distillation towers when vapor velocities in excess of 50% of jet flood are used. If the vapor velocities are pushed above about 70% of jet flood then the distillation performance of a given column packing becomes similar for both liquid continuous operation (bubble column mode) and vapor continuous operation (ordinary distillation tower mode).

Abstract: In one embodiment, a request to transition control to a virtual machine (VM) is received from a virtual machine monitor (VMM) and a determination is made as to whether the VMM has requested a delivery of a fault to the VM. If the determination is positive, the fault is delivered to the VM when control is transitioned to the VM.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of isobutane is disclosed wherein isobutane is fed to two separate alkylation systems. The effluent from the first alkylation system is fed to an interim debutanizer where the C4's are separated from the alkylate product. The overhead C4 product is then fed to the second alkylation system to provide the isobutane. The effluent from the second alkylation system is fed to a traditional deisobutanizer to prevent any build up of normal butanes in the system.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for unilaterally loading a secure operating system within a multiprocessor environment are described. The method includes disregarding a received load secure region instruction when a currently active load secure region operation is detected. Otherwise, a memory protection element is directed, in response to the received load secure region instruction, to form a secure memory environment. Once directed, unauthorized read/write access to one or more protected memory regions are prohibited. Finally, a cryptographic hash value of the one or more protected memory regions is stored within a digest information repository as a secure software identification value. Once stored, outside agents may request access to a digitally signed software identification value to establish security verification of secure software within the secure memory environment.

Abstract: Improved HETP is obtained in the operation of a distillation column containing trays with a packing of a porous container containing a particulate material intimately associated with a resilient component having at least 50 volume % open space, preferably at least 70 volume % positioned on the trays compared to the trays without the packing. The packing may contain a catalytic particulate material and the distillation may involve reaction and distillation of the reaction products. The particulate material may also be inert and the distillation of the conventional type to separate components in the distillation mixture without reaction.

Abstract: A process for the alkylation of alkane with olefin or olefin precursor such as an oligomer of tertiary olefin comprising contacting a liquid system comprising acid catalyst, isoparaffin and olefin in concurrent downflow into contact in a reaction zone with a disperser mesh under conditions of temperature and pressure to react said isoparaffin and said olefin to produce an alkylate product is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid system is maintained at about its boiling point in the reaction zone. Unexpectedly, the olefin oligomers have been found to function as olefin precursors and not as olefins in the reaction. Thus, for example, a cold acid alkylation using an oligomer of isobutene (principally dimer and trimer) with isobutane produces isooctane with the isobutane reacting with the constituent isobutene units of the oligomers on a molar basis. The product isooctane is essentially the same as that produced in the conventional cold acid process.

Abstract: A method of operating a multi-phase downflow reactor so as to induce a pulsing flow regime is disclosed. The pulse may be induced by increasing the gas rate while maintaining the liquid rate until a pressure drop sufficient to induce the pulse flow is achieved. The method is particularly useful in the sulfuric acid catalyzed alkylation of olefins in a reactor packed with a stainless steel/polypropylene mesh.

Abstract: Embodiments of apparatuses, methods, and systems for processing interrupts in a layered virtualization architecture are disclosed. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a recognition logic, window logic, and evaluation logic. The event logic is to recognize an interrupt request. The window logic is to determine whether an interrupt window is open. The evaluation logic is to determine whether to transfer control to one of at least two virtual machine monitors in response to the interrupt request if the interrupt window is open.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of asset location. Location data is received from a cellular transmitter associated with a selected asset, which location data includes data representative of a cellular receiver with which direct communication with the cellular transmitter is made. The location data is then communicated to a tracking service system, which tracking service system includes a database representative of geographic locations associated with a plurality of cellular receivers. The database is then queried with received location data so as to generate geographic tracking data associated with a location of the cellular receiver, the geographic tracking data including display data adapted to generate a map image including a representative of a location of the selected asset.

Abstract: A geolocation method is applied for accurate targeting of a target using an airborne beacon as a pseudo star generated by a high altitude vehicle, and using optical sensors by a low altitude vehicle for imaging the beacon and target for generating accurate relative GPS positioning of the target for improved the geolocation of the target preferably for precise delivery of a payload to the target. The method is applicable to military and civilian needs for accurate delivery of a payload to a target, such as for precise delivery of humanitarian aid or weapon munitions.